Merthur AU: Rising
by almaszahraghorilovesdollophead
Summary: A short story as my personal take on Arthur's rising from the lake of Avalon. Rated T because I'm paranoid like that.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin was feeling what he always felt. Empty.

He felt like he had a giant gaping hole right through his centre, and the breeze was blowing through it, making howling, whistling noises like the wind on a stormy night. The hole was less noticeable as time went on since Arthur's death, especially as he encountered new adventures and experiences through exploring times and places that only he, an immortal soul, could have the time to explore. But it was never completely unnoticeable, and never healed.  
Time. So irrelevant to someone like him. Time was something he had plenty of, so much so that it had almost become tedious for him. He watched men grow old and wither and die having lived a full life and leaving loved ones behind that cherished the memory of their existence, possibly the longest memory living on in Merlin himself, and he watched lives lost too early, and although it made him feel sick with himself, he envied them and their everlasting youth, never knowing the true pain of life, and never living on with it. He was Merlin Ambrosius, MyrddinEmrys, Emrys meaning 'immortal', the legendary figure of Camelot, not only living long in the minds of men as Kilgarrah had promised, but on earth as well; a curse he was bound to till Arthur's return.

It wasn't like him to feel so bitter and cynical, but he had recently lost yet another friend whom he had known for most of their life. It always had a negative impact on him, and he always told himself afterwards that he would not get so attached to another being again, and he always failed because Merlin had always been the type to befriend others no matter how much he tried to shoo them off. Everyone loves Merlin, whether he's an adorable, sparkly-eyed youth with cute larger-than-normal ears, or he takes the form of an old, eccentric but wise wizard, because Merlin was born and shall always remain that way. Lovable.

He was in the form of his usual youthful self as he looked out across the glittering waters of the Lake of Avalon to the Isle of the Blessed, now known as Bardsey Island as he sat on Mynydd Mawr, the great mountain that had enveloped the great city of Camelot all those ages ago. He always came here when he had suffered a loss, which was rather inappropriate seeing as though the greatest loss he had ever undergone lay beneath the deep waters before him. Maybe he just needed to be close to his dear companion, but as he squinted up at the sun glaring down on him, it was evident that this was different than any other time he had incurred a loss.

He had lost too much in his life. Shadows of friends, lives of men, reflections of sorrow in the waters he looked upon flashed before him. He felt more insane than he had ever felt in his life. He was on the brink of complete lunacy from grief; he was lost and scared and hated himself. He hated Arthur for dying. He hated everyone in the world for dying, a luxury he was never destined to have, but then, he was dying wasn't he? His soul was dying, his spirit was smouldering with loneliness until nothing but ash remained, settling at the pit of his stomach. He cried a great amount, hoping the tears would wash away all the unpleasantness, but the feelings remained, and so he cried more and more until he was shaking with sobs. Truly, Merlin was broken.

He looked out once more, longingly, at the waters and through his teary, blurred vision he glimpsed a bright light moving towards him slowly and surely, until the light was unmistakably close in shallow waters. He wiped vigorously at his beautiful, blue eyes and stared out at what he knew was a familiar figure of a man. At first he just stared, not believing his eyes, but the disbelief melted away when the bright light faded, replaced by the warm glow of the sun. A beautifully familiar smile broke across the face of the Once and Future King, and before a single thought crossed his mind, Merlin found himself running as fast as possible through the water, splashing and spraying until he flung his arms around the King and held him so close he could feel both their hearts beating erratically. He buried his head into the King's shoulder and cried gloriously. Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin, holding him closer and surprisingly cried too.

"Idiot," Arthur said lovingly, "I told you didn't I? Don't you remember?"

"What?" Merlin's voice was thick and he didn't dare move his head.

"The darkest hour," Arthur looked up to the skies and smiled, "Is just before the dawn."


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on dollophead, let's go home."

Merlin pulled the King to the shore, and after realising with a blush that he indeed had no clothes on, he shrugged off his coat and placed it around his shoulders. They walked side-by-side along the beach towards the stone steps that lead up to the long stretch of road above, whilst Merlin nattered on and on about how much has changed, and how much he had to tell him, and how much he had missed him. Arthur just couldn't tear his eyes away from him, the eager sparkle in the other man's eyes causing a wide grin to spread across his face. God, how he had missed him also!

Despite the warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach at seeing his old friend, Arthur shivered at the cold air piercing his bare, wet skin like a million, tiny arrows. This prompted Merlin to take his scarf off also, and wrap that tightly around his body like a shawl. He grabbed Arthur's hand and ran faster up the steps.

"Slow down Merlin, I'm going to trip!"

Merlin ran on determinedly. "You're going to get pneumonia that's what, if we don't get to my car sooner!"

Arthur's eyebrows knitted confusedly at the term 'car'. What on earth was that? They reached the top of the stairs, panting and Arthur saw a dangerous looking contraption parked on the other side of the road. He looked around at the place and noticed that there was hardly anyone else here except for a old couple taking a walk, a group of friends eating some yellow sticks from a cone, and a young couple with their babe. The couple were busy immersed in conversation whilst their small one took a few wobbly steps beside them, which Arthur found irritating. He could not stand irresponsibility in any shape, way or form.

Merlin pulled him across the smooth road, and upon reaching the 'car' jangled a set of keys in the lock.

"You're lucky i've got a set of spare clothes for you in the back!" he said, almost to himself, then looked up to Arthur, "Are you still the same size, or have you..." he stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixed over Arthur's shoulder then widening in horror. Then before Arthur could even blink, he was running.

Arthur spun round, trying to detect where it was Merlin was running to, and what it was that had caused such a hasty action in him. Immediately he registered, but still too slow for him to do anything.

The baby that belonged to the young couple had wandered off onto the road, and almost as if by cruel fate a large, noisy contraption on wheels was rapidly making it's way towards it. Merlin was running so fast he practically flew, and just before the baby was crushed beneath the wheels of the metal monster, Merlin's slender hands had pushed the babe out of harm's way.

But he did not save himself in time. Arthur watched as the truck connected with Merlin 's body.


End file.
